Through the Years: Test Your Aging Knowledge

Some people pay thousands of dollars to hide the physical effects of aging,
but there's no stopping the many changes that affect our bodies as time
passes. Underlying issues of bone loss, weakened organs and heart disease
often get overlooked by the more obvious indicators like wrinkles and gray
hair. Find out how much you know about the often unavoidable symptoms of
aging in this quiz.

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Question 1 of 10

The progressive loss of bone that often accompanies aging is called:

rheumatoid arthritis

osteoarthritis

osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a painful, disfiguring and debilitating loss of bone that makes fractures more likely to occur.

Question 2 of 10

Which of the following is not a contributing factor to bone loss?

exercise

Genetics, menopause and bad habits, like smoking and excessive drinking, all play a role in the development of osteoporosis. Exercise can actually help prevent this condition.

menopause

smoking

Question 3 of 10

What is a major contributor to wrinkles?

lotion

sun exposure

Sun exposure is not only a major contributor to the development of wrinkles but it also causes age spots and skin cancer.

dry skin

Question 4 of 10

Aging skin can lead to a deficiency in what vitamin?

vitamin A

vitamin B12

vitamin D

Aging skin has a limited capacity to initiate vitamin D production, making vitamin D deficiency more common in older people.

Question 5 of 10

Excessive pressure inside the eyeball produces:

presbyopia

glaucoma

As people age, their pupils get smaller and the lenses start to accumulate yellow substances, which can predispose them to glaucoma -- the product of excessive pressure inside the eyeball.

cataracts

Question 6 of 10

Why do many older people have a decreased sense of taste?

because taste receptors break down

because the tongue loses elasticity

because the sense of smell weakens

About half of adults over the age of 65 have a diminished sense of smell, which affects their ability to taste food.

Question 7 of 10

What is the Use It and Lose It Theory?

a theory for how people age

The Use It and Lose It Theory of aging suggests that use, and overuse, of your organs pushes them to the brink of destruction. A poor diet, too much alcohol and cigarette smoking are thought to accelerate natural wear and tear.

a theory for how to lose weight

a theory for the onset of dementia

Question 8 of 10

How many inches might people lose in height by the age of 80?

1 inch (2.5 centimeters)

2 inches (5 centimeters)

People are at their tallest by their late forties and then gradually lose up to 2 inches (5 centimeters) in height by age 80.

3 inches (7.5 centimeters)

Question 9 of 10

Pain and stiffness in the joints are referred to as:

arthritis

Aging causes cartilage to lose water, making it more vulnerable to injury and often leading to arthritis.

shin splints

osteoporosis

Question 10 of 10

What can you do to reduce the natural decline of the kidneys that occurs with age?